In that instant, the bloodstained White Horse charged into the foremost defensive position. The Long Spear pierced straight through, tearing apart the face at the forefront, and effortlessly breached the outermost defense line.

The Alchemy Bombs that fell from horseback immediately buried everything in the sweeping blaze and roaring blasts.

Huai Shi kept pressing forward.

The White Horse leaped, jumping over trenches and sharp iron spikes on the ground. Its iron hooves trampled with bursts of bloody light, while Huai Shi on its back swept the spear blade sideways, effortlessly chopping down with the Axe Blade to the left.

Blood and bone shattered apart.

Amidst ghastly sounds, a corpse fell face up, blood splashing, followed by more sudden death.

Chaotic roars and shrill screams rose, only to be snuffed out under cruel subjugation.

Iron hooves trampled as the White Horse marched forward, step by step, breaking through the second line of defense.

The aged Commander didn't even have time to react before the bloodied Knight came whistling by, sweeping the electrifying Axe Blade across and shattering the insubstantial barricade like a hot knife through butter.

The White Horse reared, crushing his weapon beneath its hooves. It let out a piercing neigh, stirring up a belated storm of blood and violence.

A pitch-black shotgun was raised from horseback, aimed straight at the Commander's face.

"Talk?"

In that very last moment, he heard the raspy laughter from horseback, "You think you deserve to??"

The trigger was pulled.

The gushing metal torrent brought death and darkness, heralding the final battle's commencement.

And up ahead, nothing blocked his path.

Huai Shi looked back, his blood-reddened eyes quietly fixed on the pursuers who had been unable to disperse in time. He raised the spear blade in his hand once more.

With the final thunderclap, a torrential downpour fell from the sky, swallowing the last of the screams and wails.

A long while later, when Huai Shi numbly pulled the spear blade from a corpse and looked around, no other figures could be seen.

There were no more enemies here.

He breathed a sigh of relief. He felt the White Horse stumble and kneel in the muddy ground. Its head, scarred and bloodstained, slowly turned to look at him one last time. It nudged his shoulder, then dissipated into a Phantom.

Amidst the downpour, Huai Shi rose from the ground. Reaching out, he steadied Ai Qing and slowly walked towards the shattered city gate.

Passing through that broken section of the city wall and the shattered city gate, one could enter Border Stone City.

But Ai Qing's footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

She stood rooted to the spot.

Huai Shi looked back in confusion to see her calm gaze.

"Once you enter the Border, it truly is desertion. You understand that, right?" Ai Qing said. "The Astronomical Society won't tolerate this level of dereliction of duty and rebellion."

Huai Shi didn't answer. He knew.

Ai Qing thought for a moment, then asked, "What do you plan to do after reaching the Border? Will anyone accept me there? There will only be more people waiting inside; maybe Yin Ya is there, waiting for us to walk right into his trap... Are you confident you can beat him?"

Huai Shi didn't answer. He didn't know.

Ai Qing gazed at him silently. Then, after a long while, she posed the final question: "Do you think I didn't anticipate how you'd act after coming to the Yin family and facing such an event?"

Huai Shi didn't answer. He didn't even know if he knew anymore.

"I was using you, Huai Shi," Ai Qing asked. "Is it really necessary to go to such lengths for such a woman?"

"You knew I wouldn't just stand by, didn't you?"

Huai Shi smiled, responding with unsettling calmness, "Learning to rely on friends... that's a sign of your growth, isn't it? Other things don't matter."

After all, hadn't he used Ai Qing, used his Astronomical Society identity as cover, far more often?

When they were children, they were friends. But in the adult world, it's said there are only benefits and drawbacks. So, wasn't it rather good to become best friends who could make use of each other?

Why get so fixated on all that?

He tugged Ai Qing's hand and continued forward, hearing the Teenage Girl's skeptical voice from behind him.

"Huai Shi, you haven't fallen in love, have you?"

Huai Shi turned back and stared for a long moment, amused by her solemn tone. He couldn't help shaking his head. "Stop kidding. Who on earth could fall for a woman like you?"

"Yes, that's a relief then," Ai Qing sighed softly. "But even if I don't care, being spoken to like that... it still makes me want to get angry..."

As she said this, she reached out and pressed her fingers against Huai Shi's neck.

A spark of irritation and displeasure erupted from her fingertips.

A soft CLICK.

The last straw fell.

The camel, exhausted from its desperate journey, finally collapsed.

Huai Shi fell backward, but Ai Qing quickly propped him up. She supported Huai Shi forward to a spot beneath the city gate where the rain couldn't reach, set him down, and leaned him against the wall.

"Don't you understand yet, Huai Shi?" Ai Qing studied his astonished expression, shook her head with a sigh, and said, "Now, I am your final stumbling block."

Huai Shi no longer needed to seek revenge for anyone.

But as long as she remained, Huai Shi would always be entangled with past hatreds and the Yin family.

Only with Ai Qing gone could he be truly free to live the life he desired.

"No need to be so surprised, is there?"

She suddenly laughed. "If there's one thing you've taught me, it's to handle my own affairs. And now, it seems I've done quite well. So why should you continue to intervene?"

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